INTRODUCTION

Responding to the need throughout the Order for a deeper knowledge and a wider diffusion of Augustinian spirituality, the 2001 Ordinary General Chapter (A-13a) endorsed the creation of an Institute of Augustinian Spirituality. In order to accomplish this, the General Council entrusted to an international Commission the task of taking the necessary steps towards the organization of the Institute by offering a series of concrete activities.

The 2007 Ordinary General Chapter (P-7) recommended that the General Council support and expand the Institute of Spirituality through the use of new technologies and by strengthening collaboration with the Augustinian Patristic Institute.

At the end of the process lasting from 2001 to 2012, the international commission presented these Statutes to the General Council and the Institute of Augustinian Spirituality was officially established.

 

I. DESIGNATION, LOCATION AND TERM
 

1. The Institute of Augustinian Spirituality (herewith known as IAS) was created by the General Council of the Order on February 21, 2012: Acta Ordinis 65(2013) 47.

2. The headquarters of the IAS are located at the General Curia of the Order of St. Augustine at Via Paolo VI, 25 in Rome.

3. The establishment of the IAS is of indefinite duration.


II. NATURE

4. The Institute of Augustinian Spirituality (IAS) is an organism of the Order of St. Augustine to promote the spiritual formation of the Augustinian Family.


III. PURPOSES

5. The purposes of the IAS are:
a. Promote the study and the knowledge of Augustinian spirituality
b. Facilitate the ongoing formation of the friars of the Order promoting and organizing gatherings, conferences, congresses and days of study on St. Augustine and other authors of our spiritual tradition, both in Rome and in other geographical areas. (2001 OGC A-13a).
c. Organize residential courses in Augustinian spirituality with the conferral of a diploma.
d. Contribute to the preparation of formation personnel in the Order.
e. Collaborate with the other commissions of the Order on all matters relating to the area of formation.
f. Gather and distribute pertinent material for Augustinian retreats
g. Maintain an updated bibliography of texts on Augustinian spirituality.
h. Promote the publication and translation of texts on our spirituality in the more diffuse languages of the Order.
i. Promote the knowledge of sites and centers of spirituality of the Order, maintaining contact with them and offering eventual collaboration.
j. Communicate to the Augustinian family the activities related to Augustinian spirituality which are take place in various regions of the Order.
k. Report on the life of the IAS and make known its purposes and its activities especially through the webpage of the Order.


IV. STRUCTURE AND GOVERNMENT

6. The IAS is formed by a Governing Board and a group of collaborators, who together with the Governing Board form the Plenary Council of the Institute.  

7. The Governing Board is composed of a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer and three members, all of whom are Augustinian friars in solemn vows.

8. The Governing Board is appointed by the Prior General and his Council for a period of six years, seeking as much as possible to represent the internationality of the Order and to provide the requisite competence in Augustinian spirituality and theology.

9. Should a member of the Governing Board no longer be able to serve, a new member will be appointed as substitute until the end of the prescribed term of the departing member.

10. The competencies of the Governing Board are:
a. Nominate collaborating members.
b. Plan and organize the activities of the IAS.
c. Approve the financial statement and the budget for activities.    
d. Prepare the agenda for the Plenary Council.
e. Evaluate the progress of the Institute.
f. Consult on all items submitted for its consideration.

11. President
a. Directs, promotes and coordinates the activities of the IAS.
b. Represents the Institute and acts in its name.
c. Guarantees the execution of the activities the Institute.
d. Convenes and presides over the meetings of the Governing Board and the
  Plenary Council of the Institute.
e. Prepares and presents, with the help of the secretary, an annual report of the
  IAS to the General Council of the Order.

12. The Vice-president will assume the duties of the president when he is not present.

13. The Secretary:
a. To the degree possible, should reside in Rome.
b. Collaborates with the President in the preparation and development of the
  activities of the Institute.
c. Is responsible for the redaction of the minutes of the IAS Governing Board
  and the Plenary Council meetings.
d. Maintains the archives of the Institute.
e. Administers the activities proper to his office and those assigned to him.

14. The treasurer has the responsibility of providing a financial statement of the Institute and a budget for its activities which are to be presented to the Governing Board for its approval. Similarly, he will be responsible for the ordinary expenses of the Institute.

15. The other three members form part of the Governing Board of IAS and represent the universality of the Order.

16. The President, in the name of the Governing Board, will present an annual report of the activity of the IAS to the General Council of the Order.

17. The collaborating members of the Plenary Council are named by the Prior General and his Council on the recommendation of the Governing Board, taking into account the universality of the Order and the their commitment to tasks related to spirituality. The collaborating members will have a six-year term, together with the Governing Board.

18. The Governing Board will meet ordinarily once a year in a location established at the previous meeting of the same.

19. The Plenary Council will meet ordinarily two times during the six-year term of the current administration, once at the beginning of the term and then at the end, in a location established by the Governing Board, to plan and evaluate the activities of the IAS.

20. The IAS, preferably through the president and secretary, should maintain ongoing communication with the circumscriptions, unions, federations, institutes and the spirituality centers of the Order.


V. FINANCES

21. The IAS does not have it own funds. It depends on the General Curia of the Order for its financing.

22. Income from activities of the Institute are to be transferred to the General Treasurer of the Order.

23. The expenses of the members of the Governing Board for activities related to the Institute will be assumed by the Institute.

24. The Governing Board will present annually a financial report, including a budget for its activities and a balanced financial statement to the General Council of the Order for its approval.


VI. GENERAL PROVISIONS

25. As decided by the  General Chapter of the Order (2007 GCO P-7), the IAS will rely on the academic collaboration of the Augustinian Patristic Institute, in accord with the prescriptions of the Statutes of the same.

26. The IAS is regulated by the present statutes, which can be modified by the Prior General and his Council on the recommendation of the Governing Board.